Sports

Keegan

Bad move, Mizzou

Mystified at Missouri’s decision to bolt the Big 12 for the SEC, yes. Shocked? No. Remember, this is the same school that interviewed Quin Snyder and Bill Self to replace Norm Stewart and decided to hire Snyder.

This is the same school that after losing basketball coach Mike Anderson to Arkansas hired Frank Haith.

At Sunday’s festive news conference to announce the move to the football conference that features fast, huge, in-your-face defensive linemen, Missouri Chancellor Brady Deaton cited “continuing instability in the conference we were in” as impetus for the move.

He has a point. After all, it wasn’t long ago that a school whose chancellor was the Big 12 board chairman triggered the instability by publicly expressing its desire to draw an invitation to the Big Ten. That school, of course, was Missouri, and Deaton was the Big 12 chairman until last month.

The Big 12 now has the sort of fair TV deal that the SEC has. Missouri always seemed to want more power in decision-making in the Big 12 and begrudged Texas its leading role.

Here’s how powerful Missouri is in the SEC: The Tigers will be in the East division, despite it making no sense geographically.

Apparently, big-money boosters promised to fund facilities upgrades as long as Mizzou joined the SEC. Better facilities mean better recruiting. But that presumes Missouri can continue to recruit Texas as well as it has when it was a Big 12 member. Dangerous assumption.

Plus, it’s not as difficult to get a Texas player out of the state of Texas as it is getting an Alabama athlete out of Alabama, a Georgia standout out of Georgia. Ditto for Louisiana, Mississippi, etc.

Athletes from the deep South tend to like to stay in the deep South.

The move to the SEC hasn’t worked out as well for Arkansas as it had hoped. Snazzy facilities might help to change that, but so far the school hasn’t had nearly as high a profile as it did in the Southwest Conference.

None of that will scare Gary Pinkel, a confident man for a reason. He’s a heck of a football coach. On the positive side, his spread offense is one that SEC defenses don’t often prepare to face, so the unfamiliarity could close the talent gap a little.

• If Mississippi boosters fed up with coach Houston Nutt get their way, Pinkel might not be the only pass-happy coach joining the SEC.

Ole Miss fans love the idea of Mike Leach bringing his aerial show to Oxford. Ole Miss, like Kansas University, is 0-6 in conference and 2-7 overall. Zack Stoudt, the juco recruit who chose Mississippi over KU, has thrown six picks and two touchdowns and has a 50.5 completion percentage.

Ole Miss boosters are growing louder by the minute about their desire to replace a Nutt with a (pirate) nut.

• A couple of former Mark Mangino assistant coaches had big weekends.

Rice University’s offense, coordinated by former KU offensive line coach John Reagan, amassed 671 yards in a 41-37 victory against UTEP.

Northern Illinois head coach Dave Doeren’s Huskies, who lost to KU 45-42 in Week 2, won at Toledo, 63-60, to improve to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the MAC. Doeren’s Huskies rank 10th in the nation with 41.2 points per game.

Whether Misery's move was good or bad really doesn't matter. It will all come out in the wash in the next decade. I personally think they will regret the move immensely because of the travel and their fan base will have little to cheer about after the Tigers are pummeled a few times, What is important is that KU needs the exit fees of MIsery and A&M to corect the major mistake of its last athletic director and buy out the remainder of TG's contract. So good riddance and enjoy the lousy Southern cooking.. .

Sorry, but you're wrong. The whole AAU status was/is irrelevant to this topic. Besides, AAU status is a joke. Its something that some schools like to throw aound, but its really meaningless.

Speaking of jokes, missery is a bunch of a$$ clowns. It will always be the same story with them - an outrageously high and completely unwarrented self image. What can they really boast about when it comes to college sports? They've been slightly better than mediocre in football for the past 7 or 8 years. Wow.

I heard that a missery grad wrote a book about the history and tradition of missery's basketball program. There's about a million jokes you can make out of that.

Academics? Please. I'm not saying its a bad school academically, but if you did a national poll of the top 50 academic institutions, missery is not on that list.

KU shouldn't do missery the favor, and it would be a favor, of ever playing them in any sport again. I'll be laughing my a$$ off when they have losing records year after year in the SEC.

missery administration is a bunch of liars and their fans are a bunch of idiots. It won't bother me one bit to see them go.

How in the world is that the case. Prior to Mizzou going from Big XII to SEC it was the inverse of that. So one swap and suddenly they're a "laughingstock"?!?!?! LMAO!!! Ok. ACC, SEC & Big XII...I'd say that they're STILL pretty much on par with each other academically.

"The conference sought the Aggies to open the door to the television market in Texas. The SEC sought Missouri because it had to bring in someone, right? The Tigers may deliver good-sized TV markets in St. Louis and Kansas City. But there's a reason that they call the trustees of the University of Missouri "curators." They are the people who work at museums, which is the only place you'll find a Tiger trophy in football for the foreseeable future."

Yes, because if its one thing the SEC has wanted to laugh about it, it is their high academic reputation. In light of this intellectual enlightenment, do you think the SEC schools are going to up their admission standards? I don't think so either. Its more likely, A&M and Mizzou will hope to gain some recruits by being allowed to lower theirs.

Not a very compelling post. I seriously doubt anyone is going to see the SEC in a higher academic light or the Big XII in a lower one than they already were. If this is the source of your worry about realignment you really don't know what to be scared of.

Mangin,
Why not learn to be polite on this board? You are one rude sob with a thought process that is far from impressing any KU fans here. You are annoying as h*ell. Do us a favor, and get off this board. Your so-called section headings & transitions don't reveal any meaningful thoughts or insights. One more thing, SEC has been laughing all the way to the bank with only two AAU members, so ask them what's more fun 1) adding two more AAUs or 2) expanding their TV footprint for more money. So far you have impressed me with your short tongue that spews elementary thought process.

Keep in mind folks, manginorh00lz is the latest iteration of the banned account holder formerly known as KSA 21-3503. You all recall that is the Kansas statutory reference to indecent liberties with a child. While I'd ordinarily recommend you just ignore someone of this ilk as you would any other troll, I post this to remind folks exactly the type of jackwagon you're encountering.

Do you expect any kind of courtesy or mutual respect from someone who would choose the statutory reference to indecent liberties with a child as their loser name? Common courtesy didn't exist under the former nom de plume. Don't expect it to change merely because his/her/its user name is different.

KSA apparently is nothing more than an opinionated, attention starved, arrogant poster that loves to post derogatory comments either in an attempt to impress all with his/her/its omniscience or to take shots at anyone/everyone to satisfy whatever whim du jour blows his/her/its skirt up.

How about actually making another point besides AAU membership in regards to expansion. All AAU membership is about is federal research dollars in very few areas of research. There are quite a few schools that receive more federally funded research dollars than KU, but are not part of the AAU. AAU membership is the most overrated aspect of conference realignment.

Bottom line is that Misery will always be a state without a true home. For years prior to the Civil War, they proclaimed their allegiance to the South and the slaver way. After the Civil War, they have gone out of their way pretending that the War never happened and that their commitment to slavery never happened.

The South see them as traitors and the North sees them as band-wagoners. Face it! You'll never have a home, but by some of your own administrators comments, you've gone back to your "roots". Well, I guess there's nothing like choosing the wrong path....TWICE!

The MO-KS pre-Civil War history somehow still matters for those on the western side of Missouri, but to those on the eastern side of Missouri, it has no relevance whatsoever. However, here is a history lesson for kuhwks: Texas was a Confederate state. Missouri was a Union state. The Big 12's conference headquarters is in Dallas, TX. So, when the Big 12 decided to move its headquarters from Kansas City to Dallas, it moved its league office from a Union state to a former Confederate state. Does any of that matter? Not unless you are over 150 yrs. old. The real issue is that the University of Kansas has no other options beyond the Big 12. If the shoe was on the other foot, KU would leave the Big 12 in a heartbeat. When the Big 12 breaks up (which it inevitably will), KU won't have anywhere desirable to go. So sour grapes abound. KU may take a year off from the MU rivalry, but it is going to realize that it needs the gate revenue of the Border Showdown. KU isn't Texas. It can't remain spitefull for long.

Sorry, but the MO-IL Braggin' Rights game now is the exact analogy applicable to the MO-KU series. Both are border rivarlries between opponents from different conferences. One difference is who cares about which series. KC doesn't care much about the MO-IL game. But guess what? STL doesn't care much about the MO-KU game either. And now we get eastern border rivarlies with Kentucky and Tennessee and a southern border rivalry with Arkansas (and Mike Anderson). Face it, jealousy is what at play here. Illinois won't end the MO-IL series because Missouri now will play other states. But KU will.

The Braggin' Rights game is in BASKETBALL between IL and MU. It has been played EVERY year for over 30 years in St. Louis. It is the same as KU. You are apparently wrapped up in your KU banner that you failed to know the correct sport to which I was referring.

And why is that STHawk?
1. Missouri has been trying to get into the Big 10 for, at least, the last 3 decades.
2. This made-up series paves the way for the Big 10 to get into the St. Louis market without having to invite Missouri to join the conference.
The Braggin' Rights game is about money for the Big 10 and desperation for Missouri.

The irony in your position about no one caring about the civil war anymore.... considering you just joined the SEC.... is rich. Have you lived or traveled in the deep south? Even today, children are taught 'The War of Northern Aggression' rather than 'Civil War'. You really have no idea what you're in for. I'm actually one that thinks you'll be fine in football, like you were in the Big 12....never win a title and middle of the road but not embarrased, provided you can adapt your recruiting strategy (Oooops the KC lineman you signed just opened up his recruitment again). But the larger point is you're going to be the transfer student with the weird haircut, anonymous with no one to talk to. So keep telling yourself that the conference won't last and take solace in the unsupported notion we won't have options if it does. The fact of the matter is this was by far the most successful negotiation ever conducted by Mizzou, leading to millions in additional revenues, for Kansas. We sincerely thank you for the new terms. Now run along, Gator Bait.

The Civil War and World War II are profoundly significant. However, they are not at all significant in collegiate football. Here is what is really going on: KU is not relevant in conference realignment. Basketball in not relevant in conference realignment. That is what is shaking the very foundations of KU here. KU thought it was the most popular kid in school . . . only to find out it is one of the band geeks. Thus, KU is horrified and acting like a 2 yr. old. And, like a parent, someone needs to say "Grow up KU!"

Boy, I just love to hear people make assertions that won't ever be proven correct or incorrect.

We know nothing of how desirable KU was or wasn't in conference realignment because the KU officials didn't hike up their skirts to any suitor that batted an eyelash. Just like we know that MU was desired by one conference and not another because they did just that (metaphorically).

SIDEBAR: Nevermind the fact that the conference that "wanted" MU simply had an end to which a means was needed--they didn't want to stay at 14 teams. Nothing says desirable like "hey, we need one more to make it an even number". Then again, I guess they did show MU's value to the conference by placing them in a geographically sensical division instead of tossing them into a division that suited the interests of their full--I mean... um, ah... existing members. Oh what's that? Missouri, the new, westernmost state in the SEC, is in the Eastern division? That's interesting...

As I was saying, the true test of how desirable KU is as an athletic department will likely never come to fruition, because the Big 12 is stable and KU won't be out selling itself for anyone who will give it half a look. Missouri bought into its own hype and overplayed its hand before finally settling on a second choice in order to keep that feeling of wantedness going just a little longer (MU to SEC: "tell me again how beautiful my eyes are..."). Maybe MU is a more "desirable" school, and I guess that's what keeps MU fans up at night--being desirable. But I'll take a program that is a nationally recognized brand and regarded as one of five pinnacle schools in a particular sport any day over being the school that was just the even-numbered invitee to be a punching bag in another conference.

I watch college sports for the thrill, emotion and spirit. KU basketball is exciting, even if the financial math doesn't equate to as much money as being Alabama football or make our school as desireable when it comes to 16-team superconference pipe dreams. Don't forget that KU's "undesirable" athletic department out-earned all but two programs in the Big 12 last year.

Yes, we do know what KU's options were - the Big East and the Mountain West. Great options. It's actually funny that I agree with Mizzou's position in this. My conference rejected Mizzou multiple times. And, I enjoyed beating Mizzou in the Insight Bowl in Dec. But, hey, good for Mizzou. The Big 12 is toxic, and it made it's way out (like Nebraska, Colorado, and A&M). I do feel sorry for KU and it's fans, even though both are acting childish. That is definitely not a plus. Sportsmanship is apparently not a KU forte.

Not really interesting in sitting here and arguing with some Iowa fan who doesn't even know what he doesn't know, but insists on talking about speculation and conjecture as if they are absolute fact.

Speaking of childish behavior, what are you--an Iowa fan and therefore Big 10 affiliate--doing here commenting on a University of Kansas website on an article about Missouri, Kansas, the Big 12 and the SEC?

There is literally no reason for you to be here other than to antagonize like a little child who gets a kick out of annoying people. No one cares about the opinion of someone who isn't affected in any way, shape or form by MU leaving the Big 12.

This is good news if KU takes advantage. Missouri will gradually lose the media coverage and interest in the KC area - meaning that KU can dominate KC recruiting. Not a huge advantage, but an advantage none the less.

KU needs to move quickly and speak bluntly when working with recruits.

+1 Not just the KC area but the entire northwest part of Missouri. Not only that but Missery is going to lose out on many of the Texas recruits the so sorely need, and those recruits will be choosing KU and KSU. Good Bye you pukes!

No so sure I would want that. His team just won 63-60 in the MAC. I think their defense may be worse than ours, if that is possible. If the comeback to that is he needs time to get his recruits in on D, then what about Gill? Kind of the same argument both ways, but I would personally prefer someone with more of an established track record.

I think Gotllieb said it best in a tweet yesterday, "Missouri fans your New Years calendars are now clear for the next 20 yrs. Oh wait, nothing changed." Sad to see the rivalry die, angry that they are making KU seem like the poor sports and running away from playing, but in the end no one will care and it will provide us a good source of amusement for the next several years.

Here's how I see it playing out...
1-3 years: tough SEC schedule shows its teeth right away and they stop the streak of 10 win seasons.
4-6 years: barely if ever getting bowl eligible, the fan base becomes angry and stops coming to games finding something better to do on Saturdays in Missouri (noodling perhaps)
7-10 years: no amount of pledges to upgrade facilities and added tv revenue will overcome the chronic losing that plagues their program. Pinkel leaves for greener pastures (if not before) and they become Kentucky minus the basketball team, just a speedbump on opponents way to the next week.

"Remember, this is the same school that interviewed Quin Snyder and Bill Self to replace Norm Stewart and decided to hire Snyder."
And we're the school that interviewed Jim Harbaugh and Turner Gill and decided to hire Turner Gill.

Harbaugh gave the courtesy interview. If he would have had any interest at all, Perkins would have thrown the entire University at him as a paycheck. He was in a great winning position at Stanford and knew the NFL was right around the corner.

I'm with you, LAJayhawk, with one added comment: I believe it's not true because there wouldn't have been a single logical reason for Harbaugh to leave Stanford for KU. How about some actual evidence to back up your random spewing, bigpimpin?

It was a bad move. Somehow they thought to show their superiority, or inferiority
complex, they would leave the Big 12. They figured they could save grace by joining another conference since they got blackballed by the Big 10. Have fun going to Baton Rouge, Fayettville, etc. They will really struggle on the road in the SEC. At least in the Big 12 North they had to opportunity to win the conference if they won the North, which they did. And the Big 12 South is not on the same level of playing field then most of the SEC teams.

One premise in the article that is flawed is to say that "The Big 12 now has the sort of fair TV deal that the SEC has." It's so uniformed that it's surprising a professional journalist would even make the comment. To start, there is no granting of tv rights in the SEC with a time frame. The SEC will renegotiate its TV contract now that it has added 31 million new households to it's footprint. In addition, a new SEC Network will be put in place. Within the next 3 to 5 years, Mizzou stands to earn at least $20mil more per year in TV revenue than it would in the Big 12. In addition, with more exposure the ability to build the brand will expand revenue as well football stadium expansion. Mizzou will see it's athletic budget grow from about $53 million this year to something north of $75 million within 5 years and probably over $80 million by the end of this decade. If they stayed in the Big 12, not so much. This alone trumps any other argument someone can come up with for staying.

Your numbers don't makes sense are largely overstated. Plus if MU gets its budget to $80M in the next 10 years they will be far behind Alabama, LSU, Florida, Tennessee, Ga, etc who already have budgets between $80-100M

These numbers are not overstated. The new SEC tv contract will yield each member between $32 and $35 million per year, which is double the current Big 12 contract (which isn't going up by removing A&M/Mizzou and adding WVU/TCU). On top of that, the SEC Network will be added and each school will easily pull down somewhere between $6mil and $10mil per year from that. Mizzou is going to add from $20mil to $25mil within 5 years to it's budget. Even if at $80 mil per year they are behind bama, lsu, fla, ut and uga, it will still be enough to greatly expand the size and scope of the dept. and puts Mizzou in a competitive range with top of the SEC.

What's overstated is the difference. Right now, every teams gets $15M and the contract will ESPN will be renegotiated in a few years which will add more revenue, if you think the conference is still in existence then which is a big 'if'. Certainly, MU will make more money in the SEC, but not $20-25M more a year. The MU curators report said $12M more and I have read several analyses that indicate that may be on the high end. Regardless, moving to the SEC forces a sort of expensive arms war that MU does not have in the Big 12, so you make more money but have to spend more money. I don't blame MU for leaving. If given the chance, KU would have done the same thing, but whether there will be a huge positive economic windfall by moving to the SEC is not clearly apparent.

Who care though? Are missery fans gonna see any of that money? They're the ones who are going to suffer from this. If they weren't missery fans I'd almost feel sorry for them. They're going to get slaughtered in the SEC. No amount of money is going to prevent/change that. I wouldn't want KU to join the SEC for that same reason. I like actually having a chance to win football games, this year aside. missery was the one who started all of this realignment garbage and then they had a chance to stay and help solidify the Big 12. They F'ed up big time. But, it is missery so F'ing up is par for the course.

What good is adding another 20-30,000 seats to catch up the the rest of the SEC if you can't fill the ones you've got. You host the #3 team in the country (OK St.) and you didn't even sell out - over 10,000 empty seats. Not very SEC-like if you ask me. All the money in the world won't fix an apathetic fan base.

"Mizzou will see it's athletic budget grow from about $53 million this year to something north of $75 million within 5 years and probably over $80 million by the end of this decade."

Awesome. Then you will still be $25 million short of Florida's budget RIGHT NOW.... that would be hoping that the Gators don't increase their budget at the same rate you do...

If you are making more money, but your costs have greatly outpaced your revenue, you are not moving in the right direction. But I suppose you could still compete at a fraction of the budget of the other SEC schools. It works for the Royals against the Yankees, doesn't it?

And P.S. Why do you even care what KU fans think? You obviously are happy moving to the SEC, why come on here and try to defend it to those of us who you think just don't get it?

As I crossed the state line to go to work today I witnessed the stars and stripes had been replaced by the stars and bars, and somewhere in the distance I could hear stains of Ashokan Farewell whispered on the wind. Hats off boys, for today those who were once our brothers have fallen to that cursed rebel scourge... Of all the days to forget my Crimson Leggings.

So the SEC welcomed Misery with open arms. Let's see how the conference feels in 4 to 5 years when Misery starts their whining about how no one respects them. That's what they do and it got real old. When the big boys in the SEC start regularly clobbering them, they will resort to their old pathetic ways.

Any school leaving the conference hurts but Texas and Oklahoma have both toyed with the idea of leaving on two occasions and remain intact. There are still viable programs available if we choose to expand, albeit less geographically convenient. If the Big 12 does not survive it will because the Pac 12, Big 10, ACC and SEC are intent on becoming 16 team conferences. I’m not convinced that will happen but if it does I believe KU will land in one of them.

Any Razorback fan who yearns for the days of the SWC is 1) in the extreme minority and 2) an utter fool.

There are no regrets that Arkansas joined the SEC, and in being considered the 3rd best team in the SEC, when the other two teams are ranked 1st and 3rd in the nation, respectively, is no mean feat, either. Last year, we made it to our first BCS game (where we failed to play up to our potential - that's a story for another day) and we have made it to a few SEC championship games. In short, leaving the SWC was one of the best things done for the program, and undoubtedly, Mizzou will feel the same way. And sure, we lost the big rivalry with Texas, but as everyone has seen, Texas genuinely cares only about Texas, and can't be even bothered to hold on to an even longer rivalry with an in-state foe (maybe this is a growing Big 12 trend).

Mizzou will benefit from playing in the toughest conference in the country which carries the prestige of multiple national championships. It will still have a recruiting presence in Texas, as, after all, the state is now SEC territory. Recruits from Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa, will now have the opportunity to play for the conference which sends the most players to the NFL without having to leave the far from home. Playing in the SEC will no longer mean taking a trip over to Kentucky or down to Arkansas, but in much closer Columbia, Missouri. Lastly, after the next round of tv deals are through, Mizzou will probably end up bringing home a nicer (and definitely, more fair) share of the pie.

In short, welcome Mizzou to the SEC and a much brighter future! (If Mizzou wants another border rivalry, perhaps some Razorbacks can stomp over the place of a few jay birds and take the role!)

I live in Arkansas, and let me assure you that the fans here are nearly as delusional as Mizzery fans.

Razorback fans honestly think they are a top-tier SEC team. We all know Arkansas can't consistently beat the true top tier: LSU, BAMA, Auburn, and Florida (or even though down currently, Tennessee and Georgia?) Sure they may have the occasional year or two of success - even KU won a BCS game once upon a time (which, I might add, is one more than Arkansas and Mizzery combined.)

They are still searching for their SEC identity almost 20 years later. They still feel like an outsider. Even though we all knew they wouldn't come, why do you think their name was on the official Big 12 expansion wish list? Its because they still aren't seen as an equal. They aren't carrying any weight with the important decisions. All I've heard about was which division do Alabama, Auburn and Florida want the new teams in. Most importantly, they still don't have a true rival. When it comes right down to it, isn't that what college sports is all about?

May I also add that they have one of the most obnoxious traditions in college sports: "Calling the Hogs." It's embarrassing to watch and painful to listen to, and they think its the best thing since the double-wide.

The aforementioned is what Mizzery can expect tenfold.

They will struggle to stay above the Vanderbilt, Miss St, and Ole Miss cellar-dwellers.

Mizzery fans, while just as delusional, are less supportive. At least the fans in Arkansas usually sell out their stadium and travel to support their team. (Why do you think the Orange Bowl picked KU over Mizzery in 2008 when they had a head to head win? It's fan support.)

They will also struggle to fit in. Perhaps Mizz/Ark will become each others "rivals" by default; Sort of a phony marriage born of necessity. I'm sure the hatred will run deep.

In conclusion, I hope the SEC enjoys the delusional, under-funded, overmatched, apathetic fan-base that comes with that coveted St. Louis "footprint."

"The Tigers are like the Midwestern executive who takes a job in New York because it pays more. Only when he gets to Manhattan and discovers the price of rent and groceries does he understand that the rise in pay will include a decline in the standard of living." - Ivan Maisel, ESPN

Exactly. This site illustrates this with real data. Six SEC schools will have an athletic budget of over $90M this year (FY12). Two Big 12 schools will have an athletic budget over $90M (UT and OU). MU's budget is $56.4M which is lumped with TT and OSU and behind A&M and KU. MU has been competitive in the Big 12 with that budget. In SEC, MU's budget would by at least $12M smaller than every school except the Mississsippi schools and Vanderbilt. In other words, MU will need ever additional dollar they get by moving to the SEC just to keep up with the bottom part of the conference. They need an additional $40M per year to get into the top half of the conference! They are already pretty much in the top half of the Big 12 ($1.4M behind OSU for 5th)

If you weren't a missery fan, I'd feel sorry for you. Honestly. You were a decent program in the Big 12, at least in football. You're going to get killed in the SEC. That's a fact, and it won't change unless the Alabamas, LSUs, Auburns, Floridas, ect of the world have some major and unforseen demise. Money won't make you competitive. You adminstration just F'ed you. You should ask for some of the money to compensate you for having to endure what you're going to have to endure for the rest of you're life as a missery fan.

If I was from Texas, I would be laughing my arse off! Why is it that some Missouri fans have to have a boogey man? Your lack of Big XII championships and BCS winnings is not just just Texas' fault. Man up and quit looking under the bed!
No, that is what separates us. We would have never ran a way with our tails between our legs like you gents. By the way it's called the Big XII. It's like you never happened.

Have you seen the $$$ KU gets in the Big XII? It's not like we're talking about Iowa State here. KU had/has a lot of reasons to want the Big XII to survive. You took what you felt was the best deal for you. More power to you. Now if you really believe you're in such a great place, take your low self-esteem back to your Tiger boards and crow with those folks. I don't know a lot of KU fans who wish they were in the SEC...let me rephrase. I don't know any.

It's fascinating to me how many tigger fans feel the need to come on our board to crow about how great a decision this is for them and how envious we should all be. Can anyone say "inferiority complex?"

tiggerfan, what you and your ilk need to get through your pea-sized brains is that as soon as your sorry asses are gone from our conference, you will become irrelevant to us, other than the amusement we'll get from seeing you get stomped by the SEC teams on a regular basis. The fact that you have to come here to justify your "administration's" decision shows that you continue to be obssessed with all things KU. I think some serious counseling is in order.

Congrats on becoming Vanderbilt Lite. I'd call you Vanderbilt West but the conference you sought out for stability has already jammed you by sticking you in the SEC East. Why? Because Alabama doesn't want Auburn to gain a recruiting edge by placing them in the East. Welcome to the SEC's version of stability.

Have fun trying to convince Texas recruits that playing 1 conference game in Texas EVERY OTHER YEAR is great experience for their friends and family.

Oh, and have fun continuing your legacy of not winning conference titles.

The Big 12 will become instantly more stable with MU leaving. MU created the instability themselves when they broke the news they were Big 10 material and later recanted and feigned Big 12 loyalty. Now that they are gone the Big 12 is infinitely more secure.

This honestly seems like a lateral move to me. I'm a long time KU fan but I can appreciate a University doing what they believe is best for them. But this? The Big 12 is a top tier football conference as well as basketball. It's not the SEC in football, but when was the last time MU won the Big 12? What they really want is to be in the Big 10 and in my opinion that's what they should have held out for.

The outfit from Columbia may not be known as the Tigers for long. Already too many Tiger mascots in the SEC. Neither LSU, the house that Louie Long built, nor Alabama, the lesser, will willingly surrender their rights. Alabama, the lesser, will be especially stubborn. Took Auburn 50 years of chasing before they caught the Tiger. From Plainsmen, to War Eagles, to finally Tigers. Brilliant.

The SEC will insist that Mizzou change their mascot to the Weasels. Then, for sure, every one will wonder what ever happened to them. Gone With the Wind.

Several posters today seem to be agreeing with my thoughts about academics. If KU wants to improve its academic standing they should focus on happenings on Mt. Oread, not on the composition of an athletic league. The same goes for other universities.

The BIG12 and the other BCS Conferences are athletic leagues based on geography, enrollment numbers, and on approximate sports compatibility. BCS leagues are not debating societies or chess clubs. The individual members of these leagues are not academic apples from the same tree. ISU has little in common with UT other than sports competition. Same goes for Wash St and Stanford, Vandy and Ole Miss. Etc.

The Big12 desperately needs to expand. Desperate? Yes. There are a limited number of geographicaly compatible candidates and most of them are already looking eastward. So time is fleeting. If a school like Houston or Boise is academically accredited, in good academic standing, and is in the process of upgrading their academic offerings, then bring them in. In the realignment shuffle the Big12 must act short-term to protect the League's long-term viability.

The 9 other B12 members must force UT to accept expansion. If they refuse, then kick them out and expand without them.

I suspect we will now see 4-5 years of stability in the area of conference realignment. The Big East will add some non-AQ teams to attempt to stay relevant and that will be it. What schools are out there that would compel the Pac-12, SEC or Big 10 to expand? Only UT and Notre Dame. Maybe the SEC makes a play for a couple of ACC schools in the future, but they can afford to wait. OU proved that they are not that valuable when only packaged with O-State though the could have taken MU's spot in the SEC. UT could decide to make a move which would restart the conference realignment process.

It is hard to imagine a scenario not involving UT or ND that would disrupt the stability of the Big 12 for the next several years and I guess that is the positive outcome of all of this.

It was a good move for Mizzou.
Instead of bitching about it try and light a fire under our inept administration and get KU out of this Texas ran conference. The Big 12 (10?) is the laughing stock of the nation. As long as Texas is steering the ship there will be no long term stability. All Texas cares about is Texa$$ ! They couldn't give a lick about any other conference member.
Sorry to see Mizzou leave due to the history of the states and rivalry created over the years but if the shoe was on the other foot we would have jumped at the chance to leave this dysfunctional conference.
F-Texas!!!

This is a poor move by the Tigers, one already panned by many in the national media. They've sacrificed many years of tradition for a slightly larger payout and worse odds of competing regularly in football. They've walked away from a conference affiliation with their main rival. I would guess that Missouri will now challenge Ol' Miss and Vanderbilt for one of the least relevant athletic programs in the league. And my guess is that most fans of the SEC don't see this as an especially strong move.

What's worse, Missouri has looked extremely foolish over the past two years. They started this mess with their open flirtation with the Big 10, only to be left behind when Nebraska got the invitation. Nebraska has said they never would have considered the Big 10 had Missouri not made such a public plea to change. And now, instead of working to make the Big 12 more stable and successful, they leave for the perceived greener pastures of the SEC. Just as Nebraska and Colorado are finding this year that competing in their new leagues doesn't automatically bring all the benefits they had hoped, Missouri will be the SEC school no one really cares about.

While I think this is a foolish decision by MIssouri, one that they've handled very poorly, I suppose it is also true that many KU fans would now be fine with leaving the Big XII for other options. As of today, the Big XII is not what it once was, and adding WVU and TCU doesn't exactly make up for the longstanding rivalries that have now departed. I still think the Big 10 would be a great fit for us, but the fact is that the Big 10 is not currently expanding, and we don't have a realistic shot at a better league affiliation. Even if we were to leave, we'll never have the Midwest hub of KU, K-State, Missouri, and Nebraska that was so important to the Big 8, to the Big 12 North, and to the Kansas City area. And no matter how dumb Missouri is, the loss of those conference rivalries is, well, sad.

The real reason that MU fans dislike KU fans is because KU fans want to brag about every victory that KU can muster over MU. Yes, we know your basketball teams have been very successful but you continually want to degrade MU's athletic teams and university. Be happy you win many basketball games and championships but please don't drag us down in the mud. Both universities have had good leaders and bad leaders. We both want to be successful. When you win games and championships be honorable--don't trash your opponents. I have been to every Big 8/12 venue. The two worse places to attend an athletic event were at KU and Texas. Yes, I know our student fans at MU have not always be gracious, for that I am sorry. Dignity and honor that's what it is all about. Good Luck to your future.
Missouri Fan

Have you ever read your own boards? Don't pretend this is a one-way deal. Every spring, I know Tiger fans who are suddenly Bradley fans, or follow Bucknell basketball. Some KU fans drag down MU athletics, sure, but the idea that this is a one-way street is absolutely laughable. That's what happens in rivalries, teams' fans bash the hell out of the other teams' fans. Oh, and I have also been to just about every Big 8/XII venue, and the most insults I heard at any were in Columbia. You know "ROCK CHALK CHICKENHAWK, ##$( KU!" That stuff?

Yes I have read our boards. Yes some Tiger fans are members of the Bad Behavior Club but you missed the point that I was trying to make----KU simply cannot win with dignity---they want to trash us at every opportunity.
Ultimately we cheer for any team playing against Kansas because we get so tired of the constant bragging and trash talk against us.
Missouri Fan

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. Go ahead and believe whatever you want, tiggerfan. But ask fans of any other team in the country which team has the classier fans and it won't even be close. And the fact remains: you're the one who's so obsessed with us that you feel the need to post constantly on OUR message board. I think that says all you need to know about which side is more obsessed with the other.

The reason I don't like MU fans is because several of you peed on our seats at halftime of the recent Border Showdown in KC. Several others ripped by rearview mirrors from my car during the game, and caused $1,500 of damage to the car. You bring a new meaning to to the word, "classless" ...(maybe because so many of you are related to each other.

So KU fans brag about victories over MU? I guess that explains why a majority of our fanbase never wants to play you tools EVER AGAIN! Oh, and I don't know what fans you've been talking to because most KU fans would much rather brag about our 13 Final Fours and 3 NCAA National Championships!

Am I the only one that thinks that the picture of Alden and Deaton with confetti falling around them will be Misery's own "Mission Accomplished" banner?

I hope that every time Mizwho gets a beatdown at the hands of the Floridas and Alabamas of the world they think of that picture. That every time a Texas recruit slams the door in Pinkel's face and tell him to pound sand they think of that picture. That every time they are playing Vanderbilt for last place in the SEC East they will be thinking of that picture.

I can't wait to see what happens the first time Missouri fans make their first trip down to Death Valley. Please SEC, make Missouri's first SEC game a night game in Baton Rogue to give them a proper welcoming to the SEC.

One other thing that's always bothered me, why do people from Missouri spell their state's name with two z's instead of two s's? I've always heard rumors that spelling is a grad school level class at Missouri, but the spelling there makes it too hard to figure out.

You are right--you are not worth the time to communicate rationally. Good Luck you are going to need it. By the way when are you going upgrade your football stadium? It looks like it did when it was built in 1921. You seem so upset with Missouri leaving----how about getting a football team?
I will not be back. This should make you very happy.
Missouri Fan

We will not miss you at all. In fact, it's sort of like a zit, wart, or for purposes if only to relate to you ... a meth sore, that simply goes away, and you don't realize it's gone for a week or so... Then you think... Man it feels nice where that meth sore was bothering me for a really long time.

Prediction: Gary Pinkel, realizing the abject futility of Mizzou's future in the SEC, accepts the next PAC 12 or Big Sky coaching position that comes his way. This may happen at the end of this year as Pinkel's a smart guy, but will surely happen by the end of his first SEC season. Mike Alden then has to pick another new coach and the downward spiral begins.

Turn out the lights,Mizzou fans. You will NEVER win a SEC division or conference title in football and your good years in basketball will land you about a 12-seed in the NCAA followed by a second round exit.

I say good riddance. I look forward to welcoming WVU and Louisville and a conference schedule in basketball that finally prepares Bill Self and the Jayhawks to beat all mid-majors in the NCAA tournament.